It’s at this point of the year that I’m finalizing my last-gasp travels. Between now and the New Year, I’m getting away at for-sure once, and hopefully more before 2017 fully begins, which means I’ve got at least one trip to pack for. So, when this little pouch of goodness popped through the letterbox, I literally sighed with relief – Philip B is going to have my hair covered throughout the festive season.

Philip B is a Hollywood-hair staple, and if you’re after big-screen worthy hair, it’s the brand for you! His ranges are the epitome of glamour, and I’ve been absolutely dying to get my hands on the Old Royal line. The Forever Shine Shampoo with MegaBounce is just the thing for keeping my hair Christmas-party ready. Despite having our on the label, it doesn’t smell of the stuff, instead it’s super fresh and clean. It foams beautifully, leaving hair cleansed and not stripped, and it gives locks some serious sheen.

The Forever Shine Conditioner with MegaBounce is a serious game changer. This nourishes damaged ends without weighing hair down, and it turned my somewhat fuzzy waves into smooth, sleek ripples. The formula is designed to moisturise hair from the inside out, and it leaves it looking and feeling incredible.

After towel drying my hair, a few spritzes of the Old Royal Thermal Protection Spray provides some much-needed protection to my ends. It’s incredibly lightweight in texture, so it doesn’t weigh my hair down, and amino acids in it help to hydrate stressed ends. Like the whole range, it smells absolutely divine, and keeps hair smelling heavenly.

The Old Royal Mega Curl Enhancer is the last product in the line up, and for someone who wears their hair curly exactly 0% of the time, it might sound like an odd product to use, but this stuff is life changing! I’ve been applying a pea sized amount to towel dried ends and combing through, and once again the light formula just disappears into ends. Designed with curly hair in mind, the Mega Curl Enhancer releases moisture over a set period of time, keeping hair soft, smooth and shiny. Amino acids nourish coloured locks and tame flyaways too. It makes blow drying my hair an absolute breeze, and I only need a quick pass over with my straighteners after using. It’s such a must have for curly-haired girls!

Temperatures are really taken a tumble in the past week. I’ve had to dig out my windscreen-scraper out the glove compartment, and I’m loathe to wear anything but cashmere in an attempt to keep cosy. And, just like I’ve had to adjust my wardrobe, I’ve been upping the amount of moisture that’s in my skincare routine.

Probably the most luxurious addition to my line up has been Rodin’s Lavender Face Oil. If you’ve read this site for a while, you’ll know I’m something of a Rodin fan. Formulated by founder Linda Rodin, (who, rather unsurprisingly, is the definition of chic) every product from the line that I’ve tried has been holy-grail worthy. Happily, the Lavender Face Oil is no different. Packaged in one of the brand’s signature bottles, I almost wanted to keep it unused, as it’s just so pretty to look at!

So, despite looking absolutely glorious, I had to dive in, massaging a few drops of the oil into freshly cleansed skin, and in a word, it’s heavenly. I’m a big fan of lavender as a rule. It’s rare that I don’t scent my pillowcases with one form or another with it, but this one feels brand new. Linda Rodin has recreated the scent of lavender in morning dew. It’s a brighter scent than I expected, and paired with the base of the original Olio Lusso base, it’s an absolutely gorgeous combination.

I’ve been using a couple of drops of oil morning and night, and I have been absolutely loving the difference its made to my skin. After cleansing, I press it on, paying particular attention to my driest areas. The formula is absolutely chock-jul with skin-diving ingredients; Calendula Oil calms and soothes, whilst Argan and Sweet Almond nourish and moisturise. Since it’s so rich, you don’t need a lot, and it makes for the most wonderful dewy base for foundation! After applying it, I leave it a couple of minutes before I apply my regular moisturiser, and continue with my makeup as normal. I can’t even tell you how soft it makes my face feel, and it gives skin the most perfect glow – not greasy or oily, but just dewy and healthy. It’s because of the glow, that I also use a single drop to water-down foundations which are a little too high-coverage for me. It sheers out heavy formulas perfectly, leaving them perfectly lightweight.

Rodin Lavender Absolute Olio Lusso Face Oil is priced at £105 and is available here (UK) and here (US)

Burberry Beauty is a brand I’ve absolutely fallen in love with this year. Apart from a couple of cute lip glosses and lipsticks which I’d bought a year or two ago, I hadn’t really delved into the brand too deeply, but I have to say, I have fallen absolutely head-over-heels in love with their Christmas 2016 collection, and I’m sure you will too!

Possibly my favourite piece from the limited edition line up is the Gold Touch Eye, Lip and Cheek Illuminator. Packaged in a dinky glass jar, complete with gold, Burberry-checked lid, this is one of those products which is begging to be left out to display!

And, as pretty as the packaging is, the real star is the illuminator itself. I feel like illuminators and highlighters are one of those products I didn’t really bother with until about 18 months ago, but now I can’t get enough of them! Burberry’s offering, though, is something completely new. It has an absolutely glorious, lightweight cream consistency which disappears into skin, leaving behind nothing but a perfectly, subtly golden glow.

The consistency means that it’s also super easy to build up, if you want a more dramatic look. I have been loving a super light layer of it over the very tops of my cheekbones, and in the inner corners of my eyes. It catches the light perfectly, and looks so pretty. It’s also absolutely stunning, painted on the very tip of my cupid’s bow (although I do tend to save that trick for evenings out). The golden shimmer is exactly what my skin needs, and is a perfect way to get your makeup feeling Christmas party ready!

Burberry Beauty Gold Touch Eye, Lip and Cheek Illuminator is priced at £25 and is available here (UK) and here (US)

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be in the midst of Christmas shopping. I’m pretty much exactly at the half-way point, which, for me, is probably the hardest point, because I’ve bought all the things I know people are going to love, so now I’m left trying to find awesome presents for everyone else. One brand I hadn’t really thought of this year, was Ariana Grande, who brought out her first fragrances last year.

First of all, Sweet Like Candy looks really beautiful. From the brushed pink colour, to the studded details and big pink pom pom, it’s an absolute treat of a perfume bottle. Probably unsurprisingly, the perfume itself is seriously sweet, and it’s perfect if you’re after a wintry treat. Notes of creme de cassis mix with marshmallow and vanilla create a sexy, slightly musky fragrance that all girly-girls will love!

Whenever the festive season rolls around, I can’t resist popping into Lush and stocking up on a few bottles of their iconic Snow Fairy shower gel. It comes in a variety of sizes, is very pink, very sparkly and smells like bubblegum. It’s basically the best shower gel you can imagine, and when you wake up as early as I do – a fun shower gel is something of a must!

Despite everyone asking Lush to make it a permanent feature, the company have made sure that you can only buy it at Christmas, which makes it feel a bit special. There’s nothing nicer than sudsing up in the shower, and it smells absolutely glorious – very bubblegum and there’s not a better way to start the morning!